Injured maritime workers have legal options available to help protect them and their families following an offshore accident or injury. A recent lawsuit brought by a man in a Louisiana court alleges that as a result of the negligence of two companies, the worker suffered injuries that have left him unable to work. The injured worker has brought the claim against a boat operator and boat owner, asserting that as a crew member on a marine vessel he suffered injuries that left him unable to work. He is accusing them of negligence and a failure to maintain safe working conditions.
At the time of the accident, the captain of the boat the worker was a crew member on pulled up his net and allegedly caught the worker’s leg. As a result, the worker was lifted into the air and tore a ligament in his knee and suffered a herniated disk which aggravated a previous disk injury. At the time of the accident, the boat that the worker was a crew member on was pumping fish into a marine vessel.
The worker is seeking punitive damages, as well as other damages. In general, owners of boats and companies with offshore employees are responsible for maintaining the safety of workers and seamen. In addition, they are obligated to provide medical care and living expenses for injured seaman and injured maritime or offshore workers. The Jones Act allows injured seaman to bring a claim for damages following an injury caused by the negligence of a boat owner or crew member.
Legally, boat owners and companies that operate boats and ships are required to provide certain damages to injured seamen and workers until they are able to work again. It can be vital and essential for injured workers and seaman harmed in a maritime accident to familiar with their rights and the legal options available to them when harmed.
Source: The Louisiana Record, “Crew member accuses boat, owner of negligence in workplace injury case,” Robert Hadley, Jan. 11, 2016
